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<p><em>Dan Edward Schilling Jr.</em>, the son of Norma Greene and Dan Schilling Sr., was born in Wichita, KS. He was big brother to his sisters, Linda and Judy. </p>
<p>Growing up in Kansas, Dan developed a love of the outdoors and hunting, and he had a lifetime interest in caring for animals. At 12 years old Dan cared for a hawk with a broken wing; his entire family enjoyed watching the hawk soar when the wing had healed and it was released. As a teenager he also had a pet snake that, when lost in the house, required the total evacuation of his family until it was found (it was banned from further visits). </p>
<p>Living the life of a military family put Dan on track to attend West Point. As a cadet he continued his love of the outdoors, spending his free time camping, hunting on the USMA reservation, and honing his skills in the Post’s woodworking shop. He also became a proficient scuba diver and enjoyed and excelled at the sport of orienteering. Also, the confines of West Point did not stop him from hosting and caring for the occasional guest squirrel in his cadet room. </p>
<p>As an Infantry officer, Dan completed airborne and Ranger training and deployed to Vietnam, serving in the 101st Airborne Division. Dan completed his tour as the aide for the commanding general of the Saigon Support Command. </p>
<p>Dan married Mary Wallin in 1971 and thus began a lifetime of shared interests. Dan taught Mary to hunt, fish, and scuba dive. He also introduced her to his love of motorcycles; they enjoyed many country rides together.</p>
<p>Dan left the Army in 1977 to earn his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Kansas State. With his usual all-in approach to any task, and, to supplement his veterinary training, Dan bought a small farm near campus. With a goal of increasing his knowledge of larger animals, he purchased a flock of sheep, along with two calves that he raised to provide meat for the freezer. Dan managed the livestock while excelling in veterinary school and serving as a company commander in a National Guard armor unit. He and Mary welcomed their first child, Ashly, in 1981 and a son, Richard, in 1983.</p>
<p>Returning to the Army as a veterinary officer in 1982, Dan then served in numerous stateside and overseas assignments as a post veterinarian. Most notable, during a tour in Honduras, Dan planned and conducted a major animal disease control program, vaccinating 50,000 swine against hog cholera. This was the largest mass-vaccination program ever against this, the most economically damaging animal disease in Honduras. The program received wide and favorable publicity in the Honduras news media and was received with unreserved enthusiasm by officials of the government of Honduras, the U.S. Embassy, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. </p>
<p>Channeling his love for animals into the practice of veterinary medicine for the Army, he enriched the lives of those around him with a steady parade of “pets,” domestic, wild and otherwise, rescuing and treating multiple injured birds, rabbits, dogs, and Peggy the cat. </p>
<p>Dan had an interest in birds and dogs. He set up a bird-feeding station in a Leavenworth, KS park. Dan sat in a chair, and the birds came—they ate out of his hand! Dan also volunteered with the Kansas Specialty Dog Service, socializing puppies in preparation to be canine assistants for people with disabilities. </p>
<p>In addition to his fame with birds and his love of dogs, Dan’s expertise in woodworking was also well known in his community. Noting that using a garage for parking cars was a waste of space, Dan established a workshop and produced desks, TV stands, kitchen cabinets, and nativity puzzles, and he filled requests for trucks, trains, and other toys. He also gained fame by building a kayak in the kitchen of his first home. </p>
<p>When not working in his woodshop Dan tended his gardens. Dan moved from small vegetable gardens to being certified as a Master Gardener. His work was displayed one summer in city planters along the main streets of Leavenworth. Dan also used this knowledge to create a healthy outside environment for beneficial insects. </p>
<p>Dan was a voracious reader of non-fiction books on military history, animals, woodworking, flowers, and investment strategies. When he engaged in conversation with a friend, Dan would usually buy the friend a book on the subject of their discussion. He was well researched on many topics and was the designated encyclopedia for friends and family, a ready answer only a text away. </p>
<p>Dan enthusiastically supported his friends. A classmate remembers how Dan rescued him after a motorcycle accident, helped him retrieve the motorcycle, and then fixed the bike. That same classmate credits Dan with helping him transition from active duty to civilian life by giving him a place to live, helping him enroll in college through the GI Bill, and then finding him a position in the National Guard.</p>
<p>Dan will be greatly missed. He spent his life taking care of his family, being curious about many things, mastering several hobbies, and learning zealously. He served his country and community well and protected the innocent, especially animals. Dan’s selfless legacy will live on in everyone who knew him. </p>
<p><em>— F-1 Classmates</em></p>
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